CRAIG Hoy, a Conservative MSP for South Scotland, has welcomed progress made toward the reopening of Dirleton Castle following a recent visit.
Mr Hoy was joined by representatives from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), as well as representatives from Dirleton Village Association and Gullane and Dirleton History Society on the visit to the site.
HES is currently reviewing the results of the inspection. Following this, they will confirm a roadmap on the castle’s reopening. Dirleton Castle alongside Tantallon Castle near North Berwick are among Historic Environment Scotland’s priority sites for reopening.
Following the visit, Craig Hoy MSP commented: “I am very grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for engaging with the community on the reopening of Dirleton Castle and Tantallon Castle, and I look forward to hearing from them shortly about a prospective timescale on the reopening of both sites. The visit to Dirleton Caslte was very informative on the surveying which has been carried out, as well as future work needed to fully reopen the site.”
Clive Cruickshank, District Architect at HES said: “We recently welcomed Mr Hoy and representatives from Gullane and Dirleton History Society and Dirleton Village Association to Dirleton Castle for an update on our nationwide high-level masonry programme. Dirleton and Tantallon castles are hugely significant heritage sites and we are working as quickly as we can to reopen both sites to visitors as soon as it is safe to do so. We are currently reviewing the findings from the inspections and hope to provide visitors with an update on timescales soon.”
Carol Anne Tweedie from Gullane and Dirleton History Society said: “We are thrilled that some parts of Dirleton Castle will reopen and that most of the safety fencing will disappear. We look forward to hearing about timescales for future, necessary conservation works."
